The most frequent diseases of the great dane correspond to the most frequent causes of death, as those diseases are lethal or semilethal – which means they are deadly right away or after a while. On the first place the stomach torsion has to be named, which more than 40% of great danes experience, heart diseases like the DCM, of which 20%-35% suffer from in the course of a lifetime and cancer, whereas bone cancer is the most frequent kind of cancer of great danes with 10%-25% of affected dogs (depending on colour and region).
Other diseases which are frequent in great danes are problems with the skeletal and locomotory system and eye diseases like Ektropium or Entropium. Also kidney failure seems to be common in the breed, as well as thyroid problems. Neurological diseases like epilepsy and degenerative myelopathy are known as well in great danes.